Fragrance comparison

The Empress' Kiss vs Yen

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 13 Oct 2026 85 ratings analysed

3 wins

The Empress' Kiss

Mystikum

3.6181 votes

Rank #9,793 Warm SpicySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

Yen

Papa James

4.754 votes

Rank #43,084 CitrusSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

The Empress' Kiss takes 3 of 4 categories.

The Empress' Kiss
Choose it for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.
Yen
Choose it for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

The Empress' Kiss3/4

Yen1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: The Empress' Kiss
Sillage & projection: The Empress' Kiss
Value for money: Yen
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Empress' Kiss

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

The Empress' KissMystikum

YenPapa James

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.61/ 5 · 81 votes

Have 13%Had 3%Want 84%

4.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 56%Had 0%Want 44%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

17%Like

29%Ok

8%Dislike

8%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

75%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate94

Category winners

LongevityThe Empress' Kiss

SillageThe Empress' Kiss

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value61

¤ Price value83

Category winnerYenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

sweet92%

aromatic84%

rose77%

white floral69%

citrus61%

citrus100%

sweet92%

woody84%

powdery77%

musky69%

animalic61%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both sweet and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

GeraniumBergamotSaffronDavanaCardamom

Heart

ClovesRaspberryOrange BlossomRoseCaramelJasmine

Base

VanillaMuskAmberSandalwoodTonka BeanCedarOudOakmoss

Top20-30 mins

Pink PepperRaspberryBergamotOrange

Heart2-3 hrs

Floral NotesVanilla

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodAmbergrisOakmossLeatherCaramelMusk

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Raspberry, Caramel and Vanilla. Durations are only published for Yen, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer56

Fall100

Winter33

Day63

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night86

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex40

Women60

Men0

Unisex67

Women33

Casual 31%Date 29%Work 24%Party 16%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#9,793

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews17

Overall rank#43,084

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerThe Empress' KissHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The Empress' Kiss opens as a spicy floral with saffron, cardamom and a rich rose at the center. On skin, it often reads classy, slightly vintage in mood, and more feminine than truly neutral. The dry-down softens into jammy rose, jasmine, caramel, vanilla and amber, with musk and woods giving it a warmer finish. It ma…

Reviews →

Yen by Papa James delivers a lively clash between bright fruits and cozy, resinous depth. The first spray releases a snappy burst of tart raspberry, juicy orange, and sparkling bergamot, sharpened by a pinch of pink pepper. It wakes up your senses instantly. Soon after, the zesty opening softens into a cushion of warm…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, The Empress' Kiss or Yen?

The Empress' Kiss takes 3 of 4 categories. The Empress' Kiss is rated 3.61/5 from 81 votes; Yen is rated 4.75/5 from 4 votes. Choose The Empress' Kiss for a warm spicy and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Yen for a citrus and sweet character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, The Empress' Kiss or Yen?

The Empress' Kiss lasts longest (The Empress' Kiss 82/100, Yen 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, The Empress' Kiss or Yen?

The Empress' Kiss projects furthest (The Empress' Kiss 76/100, Yen 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do The Empress' Kiss and Yen smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and citrus accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Raspberry, Caramel and Vanilla.

Is The Empress' Kiss or Yen better for summer or winter?

The Empress' Kiss suits evening wear; Yen suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in The Empress' Kiss and Yen?

The Empress' Kiss has top notes of Geranium, Bergamot, Saffron and Davana, heart notes of Cloves, Raspberry, Orange Blossom and Rose, a base of Vanilla, Musk, Amber and Sandalwood. Yen has top notes of Pink Pepper, Raspberry, Bergamot and Orange, heart notes of Floral Notes and Vanilla, a base of Sandalwood, Ambergris, Oakmoss and Leather.